watch him command - Page 1

was just curious if your dog already knows the watch me command which i use while on walks in case a dog or kid comes running around to grab her attention would this command get in the way of  teaching a dog the watch him command which means watch the other person bark at the person which is what my current trainer is teaching my dog?


Are they both too similair and will get mixed up? or are dogs smart enough to pick up on the simple diff?

Pavlov's Dogs.   The commands are too similar, and not fair, especially since you are wanting almost an opposite reaction with each command. 

Is "focus" an acceptable command instead of "watch me"?

I use "look" for eye contact on me and either "watch him" or "pass auf" for alerting in protection (more than just watching, but going to the end of the leash and showing aggression).  Honestly though, if someone is acting suspicious or we are training protection, the dog is already "watching" that person and I could probably say "pizza!" and he would alert.

I use 'Fuss' for focus personally but beyond that it's all about my tone.

When I tell my dog to 'Watch him!' it's in a tense, suspicious tone and like VKGSD says I could be saying "Pizza!" for all my dog cares about the actual word, it's all the 'tone' and emotions I send down the leash that alert my dog.

Same when I'm doing fuss/focus.  I have a bright but no nonesense tone and my body language and movement is not at all what I do when we're in protection.

VKGSDs: I think my dog understands the "Pizza" command very well! He's looking for that crust, yes indeed. 

...but the rest about tone, I agree, usually it's something like "Who's that? or Where is so-so?"  And he's on the job, (in his family pet way.)

i can change "watch me" to focus and keep the watch him command then she probably forgot about watch me since its been a while since i have used it since shes such a good girl i dont have to use it much anymore

I used it more for emergency when i just got her she would fire up on other dogs  but now she ignores other dogs so i stopped using the command but i can bring in the focus command good idea thanks


"watch him" is currently being trained she is starting to get the hang of that also now

Different gameplans for owners, handlers, masters and different gameplans for the dog itself. Like the others stated depending on the dog the dog has already "focused" on the subject. Depending on the dog's job/purpose a command will tell the dog when and how. For me, "WATCH HIM" means just that, to watch the subject, to key on that subject.

I remember a couple of years ago my service dog, Ginno, during EDD school I had never heard him bark, growl or anything like that. On the way home from Indiana I stopped at a rest stop. It was nighttime and at the top of the hill near the entrance doors, (I didn't see him, I wasn't looking for him) but Ginno seen a man with his arms crossed just standing in the shadows. Ginno lets out a deep low "impressive" growl and I start looking around. Once spotting the individual I gave Ginno a little praise. Who would've known? At that time I thought that Ginno and I were bonding and he relized he needed tp protect his new handler.

For my dogs situation dictates. If another dog comes near or an unwanted child/person comes near, I give the command "SIT" or "DOWN" and they will sit or down til I tell them diferent. Now, I'm not going to let say another dog have the advantage over them but like I said situation dictates. Reiker has only been in one fight with another dog and in all honesty it was the other owners fault, (thinking that her prized Mandio Ring Mal would listen/obey her while off leash. That didn't work out hat way. The mal attempted to show dominance over Reiker and then it was on. Kind of like that spinning dust cyclone when you see the Tasmanian Devil cartoon.

That was interesting..... Reiker put the dog in the hospital and in the closing moments of the battle bit the dog's jewels. Have to say I was impressed by my boy. (I had intervened and put the dog in a choke hold and after everything came to peace then we talked about the "what ifs" and how things could have ended up going to the ER for me. ) But had to make sure my boy didn't get hurt!      

Pizzia is a good word for focus ....but my malinois's like kitty, kitty.

My Kelpie had a bad kitty experience when he was a puppy,and still has nightmare's.
 So I never use it on him. But he never stops focusing on me during waking hours, so it is not a
problem.